Sophoclese Expresses Justice
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Sophocles Expresses Justice
Sophocles believes religious law. He is the man that wrote Antigone. Throughout the play there are two main types of law. They are civil and religious. In the play Antigone, Sophocles expresses justice through the characters Creon believing in civil law, Antigone siding with religious law, and Haimon following religious law; ultimately saying that religious law is right.
Creon is the overpowering king of Thebes who seeks justice through civil law. If people defy his civil law, they are punished. Sometimes their punishment is death. They are used as an example to those who wish to rebel. Creon gives Etocles, his nephew, a proper burial with military honors because he was loyal. Creon tells the people of his kingdom not to bury his other nephew, Polyneices, because he is a traitor to his kingdom and unworthy of a burial. “As long as I am king, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man”(Creon, scene 1, line 51). Civil law does not allow this to be legal. Antigone, Creons niece and Polyneices sister, buries him and Creon punishes her with death after her prideful confession. Antigones death causes more deaths including his wife and son. The civil law that Creon believes in is wrong. If he had followed religious law and allowed Polynieces to be buried none of this would have happened. This is the message that Sophocles wants us to understand.
Antigone is one of the main characters in the play. She follows religious law. The gods say that every human deserves a proper burial. This is why she buries her brother. “But if guilt lies upon Creon who judged me, then, I pray, may his punishment equal to my own”(Antigone, Ode 3, line 68). When she is sentenced to her death, she prays that Creon has a death as horrible as hers. With everyone dead he is left to die a tragically lonesome death. This will be equal to hers.